Is Poe actually Aquino’s secret candidate?

PRESIDENTIAL candidate Grace Poe-Llamanzares the other day added fuel to reports that because of Manuel Roxas 2nd’s low ratings in the presidential-preference polls three months to the May 9 elections, President Benigno S. Aquino 3rd has a secret agreement to support the balikbayan as his candidate, in exchange for her protection when she wins the presidency.

Llamanzares the other day confirmed reports that she was at Aquino’s birthday party in Malacañang on Feb. 8. While she claims she didn’t sit at Aquino’s table, sources say that Aquino walked her out as she left the party and appeared to have been in serious talk with her, pausing several times to lean over to hear what she was saying.

His mother supported her father FPJ in 2004 (above); is the son secretly supporting the father’s daughter?

Who in her right political mind would attend, in the heat of a campaign period, the birthday party of a President who officially supports a rival candidate? Only if it was the only safe way to seal a crucial deal face-to-face.

Speculation that she may be Aquino’s secret candidate was bolstered by her statement at a press conference that she and Aquino are “friends,” even if they don’t agree on everything.

She certainly acted as a friend when Aquino needed her support at the Senate committee hearings last year on the Mamasapano massacre, making him unaccountable for the tragic deaths of government troopers even when nearly every evidence and testimony made in the hearings of the committee she headed proved otherwise.

She failed to follow up clear leads made in the hearings, such as summoning telephone company records to find out if sacked police general Alan Purisima and the President were in continuous communication the whole day of Jan. 25, which would belie Purisima’s fantastic claim that they stopped exchanging text messages at 8 a.m.

Llamanzares even obviously rushed to end the hearings called for by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to reinvestigate the Mamasapano massacre in a day’s time. Senate President Franklin Drilon, one of Aquino’s closest political advisers, sat beside Llamanzares during the whole proceeding and appeared to be advising her.

Sources explained that while Aquino’s support will be mainly financial, set to be unleashed late next month, Llamanzares wants the President to leave no stone unturned in getting the Supreme Court to overturn the Commission on Elections’ ruling, and allow her to run.

Aquino has already made a major step toward this project, and sent a strong signal to Poe of his support when he, through his operators, allegedly managed to get Associate Justice Martin Villarama, Jr. to retire Jan. 16, three months earlier than his mandatory retirement age of 70 on April 14, 2016.

Such retirement, unprecedented in the entire history of the Supreme Court, allowed Aquino to evade the ban on such appointments 60 days before an election. Less than a week later, on Jan. 21, Aquino appointed college classmate Benjamin Caguioa, who had hardly warmed his seat as secretary of justice, replacing Leila de Lima, in October last year.

That brought to six the justices Aquino appointed to the Supreme Court, who could follow Aquino’s wishes out of gratitude to him. Other than Caguioa, they are: Chief Justice Maria Sereno, an obscure legal academic who would not have become a judge in any court if not for Aquino; Marivic Leonen, another academic who had delivered to him the Basic Bangsamoro Law; Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza and Court of Appeals Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe.

With the six Aquino appointees, being less than the other nine justices appointed by the previous President, Aquino obviously needs three more justices to get his way. This means that three justices, in effect, would wager that their cooperation with Aquino for Poe to win would give them a better post-Court future when they retire.

I think, though, that the nine remaining justices are very principled people who wouldn’t betray their oaths of office.

This is especially so since at least three recent unanimous decisions of the Supreme Court, if applied – as these should be – in Llamanzares’ case, would make her ineligible to run for President on two counts.

First is that she is not a natural-born Filipino, as she had “to perform an act to acquire or perfect (her) Philippine citizenship,” the latter being the Constitutional definition of a “naturalized Filipino” (Article IV, Section 2). She “performed” such acts when she renounced her American citizenship to become a Filipino citizen again.

Second is that the 10-year residency requirement in the Philippines for a presidential candidate could start only when she renounced her citizenship, even if she was physically in the country before then, as the Court unanimously decided so in the Caballero vs Comelec case decided only in September 2015.

That’s the kind of country we have become – that many Filipinos would vote for President somebody who had abandoned her country to pursue “the American dream” even if she was well off, and then decided to revert to being a Filipino citizen so she could conveniently run for a high office. In Poe’s case, she first ran for the Senate and – after relishing the taste of power – aimed high, as high as the presidency.

That’s the kind of candidate we have in Llamanzares, who would dare do so and even waste the Supreme Court’s time and ours on an issue that would solely involve her, and who would allegedly have an incumbent President interfere with the Supreme Court in her behalf, just to accommodate her ambitions.

And it is the height of hypocrisy for her to claim that she is only fighting for “foundlings’ rights.” Foundlings have as much right as anyone has, but we just have to respect the Constitution, which specifies that the President has to be a natural-born citizen, not a naturalized Filipino. If that is unfair, then we have to amend the Constitution, and not disregard one of its provisions.

If the court, by some miracle or whatever, rules that Llamanzares can run for President, Roxas should realize that he should stop wasting his time or his clan’s money and withdraw: Llamanzares is the Yellow horde’s candidate, as her father was in 2004.

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What astonishes me is that Llamanzares has refused Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s offer to provide samples of their DNAs so his and her samples could be evaluated to determine if they are, indeed, half-siblings, to put all such talk to rest. The speculation for decades has been that her biological parents were the strongman ruler Ferdinand Sr. and Rosemarie Sonora, her adoptive mother Susan Roces’ (Jesusa Purificación Sonora) sister.

I even remember, when she was elected Senator in 2013, Marcos’ former trusted officials Juan Ponce Enrile and Estelito Mendoza told me something to the effect that “everyone knew during those years of Marcos’ rule that he was her father.” “That was common knowledge,” they said.

A photo often posted by different people on Facebook, in fact, attempts to show similarities between their facial features. A ‘mashed’ face through a photoshop software of Marcos and Llamanzares could even pass for a natural face:

A DNA test would not only settle a historical question; it would also allow her to prove she is a natural-born citizen.

Why would you respect a presidential candidate, who since her adulthood, having the power and money to do so, didn’t care to find out who her parents were? Why does she continue to refuse to do so?

42 Comments

PNoy has made some decisions which puzzled me, as if he was deliberately pulling down Roxas chances of winning in the coming elections. After reading Tiglao’s article things became more clear to me: he wants Grace Poe to win because Mar Roxas will not make it to Malacanan however hard he try and despite all the money he spends for his campaign.

totoo naman yan. Chiz is Pnoy’s kumpare, the latter being best man during the wedding to heart Evangelista. Grace Poe is a known ally of Pnoy. She defended Pnoy during the Mamasapano hearings. Even when she said Pnoy was “ultimately responsible” she always followed it up with a “but its not legal, just political liability.”
Obvious naman talaga na fallback candidate sya ni Pnoy. I won’t be surprised kung ung expenses ni Poe ay sagot din nila Pnoy.

totoo naman yan. Chiz is Pnoy’s kumpare, the latter being best man during the wedding to heart Evangelista. Grace Poe is a known ally of Pnoy. She defended Pnoy during the Mamasapano hearings. Even when she said Pnoy was “ultimately responsible” she always followed it up with a “but its not legal, just political liability.”
Obvious naman talaga na fallback candidate sya ni Pnpy. I won’t be surprised kung ung expenses ni Poe ay sagot din nila Pnoy.

I will read other replies after i add my own & i would like to ask if as you are suggesting she is the daughter of marcos then surely she isnt worried about that being known as it would help her get elected not hinder her. My god it hasnt hurt imelda or legitimate children at all in fact its helped them. But yes i also find it strange why she hasnt taken a dna test on this.

Poe rejected the dna test with bongbong because she knows the truth. Plus, Aquino must be pulling the strings to have her approved by the supreme court.Look at how sereno reasons out in favor of her, very odd! the law, even if not applicable in today’s world still applies to her because it was never amended. after amending it, then and only then can they rule in her favor. Aquino, poe, and mar is being fried in hiw own pot.

“Why would you respect a presidential candidate, who since her adulthood, having the power and money to do so, didn’t care to find out who her parents were? Why does she continue to refuse to do so?” —exactly my point during discussions with friends…even movie stars have their share of “parent-claimants” when they become famous even if they were never adopted!

People are avoiding the return of the Marcoses in Malacanang but if rumors are true that Poe is a Marcos and wins as President and if BongBong Marcos also wins as VP, somebody will have the last laugh.

As I have written, I guess the gameplan will be to make Grace run but disqualify her later on the Motion for Reconsideration when Bonget has been proclaimed as VP. The justices will have the billion reasons for making her run and another set of billion reasons when they disqualify her. The problem is if the Crony reneges on his word and leave the justices hanging after they have allowed Grace to run. Note that blood may be thicker than water and Grace may be useful to prevent prison time for the relative.

If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. Grace Poe is not fit to lead this country!

Of course tandem of Chiz, the one who makes secret…ay alam na. What’s the difference of Chiz last 2010 when he did the secret tandem of Aquino-Binay, so the strong influence of Chiz regarding this tandem is obviously effective. If ever he wins, the puppet will influence Poe to help Aquino not to put in jail..

Yehey Noynoy the case for the President will be absolved…so the case dismissed coz surely GRACE POE is the best bet to WIN! ha ha ha!

Mr. Tiglao is worthy of praise and honor – for all his writings; political, moral and legal aspects, etc… Without his brainy and trustworthy works, most of the Filipino people would remain in the state of darkness or misinforms without reading his works.

With all those truthful & WikiLeaks disclosures portrayed clearly, it’s better for Mar Roxas to resign NOW & support Rod Duterte instead of wasting his time in money.

I would strongly disagree, time after time this writer will try to sway you with smoke & mirrors. Give people the facts not hearsay as anyone can tell you hearsay in anyway they want. But you filipinos love hearsay in fact you all seem to thrive on it.

By now Poe knows that the disqualification issues is generated by Pinoy Liberal Party. She is playing her cards well placing herself in the middle part Liberal, part independent for she knows she can be disqualified at anytime. That is Pinoy control on Poe. It is only after the election that we will know how Poe will run the show, if she will prosecute Pinoy , Binay , Abaya, Alcala and other DoTC officers. By now ,Liberals know that Roxas will lose. Binay is a close second. To all Seniors , do not vote for any Liberal Party candidates.

Im a foreigner & i cant for the life of me see what you are all so angry about with pnoy. Has he been corrupt, well probably but i ask you to name a single politician in this country ever who wasnt corrupt. At least now under pnoys watch things are starting to change, would you prefer it didnt.
I call this smoke & mirrors, its what magicians use & pinoy propaganda is used against you all every single day.
Nothing is perfect & never will be. But look at where the philippines in satus in asia, once it was leading now its trailing, thats because of your politicians. You need honest ones to improve this country, & now a quick question, would you vote for Binay.

There is no need to move heaven and hell to prove of the scheming disgraced GRACE ambition to power. At whatever expense, be it hell or damn hell. God bless the Philippines. God save the Philippines from the evils which this administration would do to protect itself after its term.

I have to disagree with Mr.Tiglao if its an insinuation and insistence that a positive dna result test would justify Poe’s claim legitimately. My pov whether that is fact is already moot and academic both in principle and rule of law.
Reposting comment I did for someone else in fb,
Lol dokleng, didnt you understand that to have ‘natural born’ type citizenship one must have proof beyond reasonable doubt certified by public authority or affidavit witness that one at birth has a circumstance having filipino parents therefore having the perfect citizenship beyond question of law or any other circumstance such as of the founding, that goes to say that perfect citizenship is without the error of presumption as that of a foundling. So why muscle in a perfect citizenship if really one is not inclined to challenging the definition of ‘natural born’ citizenship as defined by the constitution? Why at all mix international law when there isnt a factor in the international law that says foundling must be ‘natural born’ citizens? International law merely states that a person should be given a nationality accordingly under the laws of a country or state. That is clear that there was never an issue or conflict factor with international law. The conflict is someone like Poe and allies who wants violated the existing constitutional statute so she can run illegitimately as president. Foundlings as naturalized citizens are not deprived of regular benefits, even natural born citizens are not exactly becoming presidents or senators. The pro Poe writer also intently missed the fact that Poe lost her citizenship and ofcourse all types under the citizenship was burned to meaningless when Poe abjured officially her allegiance of filipino citizenship when Poe decided willfully to become an american citizen. Our Constitution states clearly that citizenship can be ‘LOST’ by manner of law, and there is only one way to have ‘LOST’ the citizenship it is by abjuring the allegiance willfully and changing to the another country allegiance and citizenship. Our Constitution clearly stated ‘LOST’ which is different from the word ‘SUSPENDED’ if for want that the original circumstance of birth can be applied again. ‘Natural born’ citizenship comes once in a lifetime as a birth circumstance not by biological or ethnic right but a birth circumstance as required and defined in the Constitution, for example it matters not if its a chinese ethnically by blood but having been born with filipino chinese parents as certified by public authority or witness is sure a ‘natural born’ citizen. Citizenship is by required circumstance of law not type of biology. The Philippine archipelago is host to various ethnicity, and the filipino as nationality is not about one racial homogenity, the filipino is about having a nation with a national citizenship, by etymology the word ‘filipino’ is a colonial function. So why argue about ethnicity on national identity such as citizenship that is granted by law not biology?

Lol ang citizenship for the fact is a granted classification by law not of biology. Ethnicity is the fact of biology, there is no citizenship in the science of biology.

The classificatory laws of citizenship in the Constitution is not biological taxonomy in nature. Citizenship is for official national identity and allegiance.

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or let us put the question this way. How does a person become a ‘naturalized citizen’ by law?

1) if the person posses an alien citizenship and applies for a change or additional citizenship that the law is called to process the acquisition of the citizenship. For the being of citizenship changed by law then that is ‘naturalized citizenship’.

2) in the case of the foundling where our constitutional requirement is a certified public authority or affidavit (as in the case of late registration or any other circumstance ) confirming that one of the parents is a filipino, else a prospective process of law is due determining that the foundling failed to fulfill the ‘natural born citizenship’ requirement due to unknown parentage. Therefore by the fact of constitutional non compliance of the requirement set for the fulfillment of ‘natural born citizenship’, so as not to violate the definitions and requirements of natural born perfect citizenship in the constitution, the foundling being imperfect in the requirement is given naturalized citizenship so as not to remain stateless. my pov.

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At kahit pa maging known let us take for granted Poe was a natural born citizen, that is not anymore relevant as Poe changed her citizenship to american losing the filipino citizenship and whatever sub types under the citizenship had been extinguished for no one can say he or she is currently a filipino ‘natural born citizen’ if she is already an american citizen by law. But she or he can say that she was a ‘natural born citizen’ before she officially abjured the filipino citizenship and became an american citizen. Applying for the filipino citizenship possesing an alien citizenship necessarily will be a process of law attributing ‘naturalization’.
Teddy has been telling that he was one of the principal authors of dual citizenship or R.A. 9235? Then Teddy should know that R.A. 9225 is not empowered to grant ‘natural born citizenship’ type to a citizenship but passes the authority of citizenship definition back to how the Constitution defines citizenship and its sub types under. What R.A. 9225-says is that persons who were ‘natural born citizens’ of the Philippines as the essential requirement can apply for dual citizenship, so while being an american citizen the philippines will regard the person who applied as ‘filipino citizen’ too. But never did R.A. 9225 extrapolate that it can grant back the ‘natural born citizenship’ circumstance as R.A. 9225 passes the authority of the definition to our Constitution.
Poe’s group hopes to bank on probably erroneous jurisprudence

Quoted from G.R. No. 142840 Bengson vs. HRET:

“Moreover, repatriation results in the recovery of the original nationality. This means that a naturalized Filipino who lost his citizenship will be restored to his prior status as a naturalized Filipino citizen. On the other hand, if he was originally a natural-born citizen before he lost his Philippine citizenship, he will be restored to his former status as a natural-born Filipino.”

A repatriate for essential element is someone who has no recourse to will the keeping of one’s citizenship as in the case of filipinos who signed up as american soldiers or the old custom of a wife following the man’s citizenship.

Un kay Poe willful ang pag change niya ng citizenship.

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To remind that Jurisprudence are not the constitutional law themselves but are interpretation and ruling on them such that jurisprudence can be fallible in the ruling and if upon deeper examination of what the constitution said the jurisprudence is proven logically wrong and erroneous in the intepretation, that jurisprudence will be junked and reversed so that what the law really meant is the one to be followed.

Remember our Constitution said the word is ‘LOST’ not ‘SUSPENDED’ that one can take back the original position and circumstance unchanged. To recover the original circumstance of the citizenship is to ignore the fact that there was a change, reapplications of law in the citizenship violating the constitutional definitions and provisions.
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For long version and rudimentary pov discussion on citizizenship please search on fb app,
Balitang Bayan+what about citizenship+part

You are insinuating that Grace is a secret candidate of Pres. Aquino. That is no longer secret! It is evident that she is the second choice in case Mar will have poor showing. But the fact is we are still 3 months from election and with the trend and possible big name support for Mar will catapult him to the lead. What is being predicted is some candidate will shift its support to Mar since he is the most qualified. Makati Business Club and a visit to Via Mare will show some group of people with yellow shirts talking about support to Mar. Most corrupt officials are afraid that if the “Daang Matuwid” will continue their illegal activities will be curtailed. There is no doubt the tandem of Mar and Leni or RR will win for the good of our country.

Why would you respect a presidential candidate, who since her adulthood, having the power and money to do so, didn’t care to find out who her parents were? Why does she continue to refuse to do so? … Agree. It’s hard to believe that at this age and time, one, least of all a prominent political personality running for the highest office, is having difficulty searching for her “lost” biological parent. Ginagago tayo.

Definitely, they know. There is no doubt about it. Why then won’t they reveal who the mastermind is? Because, what will come out is very shocking and would diminish whatever respect they have left. God bless the Philippines and God save the Philippines.

The ivy league graduate Roxas is so naive he is not worthy to become president of the Philippines. All signs point to the fact that Poe is Aquino’s candidate now, but he continues to wear yellow in his sorties. He is spineless and has an IQ probably lower than Aquino.

Poe’s an independent candidate, everybody should stop speculating that she’s Pnoy’s bet, because she definitely is not. a lot of people who find senator poe a threat, tend to say or spread rumors about her being Pnoy’s bet just to spread false information and try to raise their bet on top. but that won’t happen because the people surely knows who’s lying and who’s not. the surveys alone explains it all.

dodong i agree with you totally on this speculation, i call it smoke & mirrors, everyone uses it in the philippines & mr Tiglao is the one who uses it many times. Reporters are supposed to report facts, they bend their speculation to look like facts. Dont be fooled guys